A Dance For Two
by Sakrea
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a little music to create the right opportunity. Perceptor/Jazz


The barest hint of a sound, a soft beat with the absence of true melody, was all it took. The music, obvious though it was so muffled, caught one mech's attention.

Jazz paused, audials practically twitching as they picked up the distant sound of music. His optics lit as a slow smile worked its way across his features. His previous task, delivering a data pad of collected information to Prowl, was forgotten instantaneously. He turned on his heel and strode purposely off in the direction of the sound.

The music, growing in volume after only a turn down a single hallway, seemed to be fast paced, yet soft. It drifted down the corridor, teasing him with its tune, just out of reach of identification. He wanted to know what it was, who was playing it. The friendly tune lured him further into the depths of the Ark.

Around him, offices diminished. This was not where mechs dwelled within their files and their stacks of data pads. No, these rooms were noticeably different. They were fewer and farther between, meaning larger rooms behind those doors. This area of the Ark, had Jazz paused to notice, was for the scientists.

Closer to the source, the music grew, far more identifiable now. He heard instruments, trumpets he thought. Their tune ran clear, blaring good tidings in their melody. Yet they were soon drowned out by a voice, deep and resonant. This was not recent, party music. No, this was older, not ancient, but not a tune he'd listened to on a radio station.

A door in the corridor was cracked open just slightly, allowing the wonderful music to spill from its source inside. Jazz approached, peering eagerly into the room. His optics twinkled mischievously. The sight inside cast little shivers over his plating in anticipation. He'd been waiting for an opportunity like this to arise.

A silent hiss left the door as it slid open, but the sound was covered by the smooth sound of the singer. The lone red mech occupying the room was none the wiser to his approaching company.

Jazz didn't bother to rely on his Special Ops training to sneak up on his prey this time. His footfalls weren't masked, his energy signature blaring and obvious, yet no response. Unsurprising.

"Percy~" Jazz purred, stretching himself out to whisper into the scientist's audial without touching him.

The stout red scientist released a yelp of surprise and bumped into the mech behind him. A small ruler tumbled out of his hands, clattering to the table beside the makings of his experiment. The small radio in front of them played out a wordless tune, the singer's voice humming pleasantly to the cheerful music.

One of Jazz's arms slipped under Perceptor's, barely brushing his plating as he retrieved the ruler. "I'm curious to hear about your latest project…" he murmured softly, canting his head slightly to allow the scientist to hear.

"O-oh... Jazz, you startled me…" Perceptor breathed, clearly uneasy about their proximity.

A smile crept onto the white mech's face. "My apologies," he replied, clearly not sorry. "Now… The experiment. I see some very interesting things here… What do they mean?"

Perceptor's head turned just slightly, allowing their optics to meet without their face plates colliding. "I… Well… It's a common experiment, but I just wanted to try it out for myself…"

"Oh? It's common to play old music to a small plant?" Jazz asked, using the ruler in his hand to make a sweeping gesture at a pea plant settled in front of a small stereo. The set up was more than a little odd, but he couldn't find himself complaining when that tune flowed easily into his audials.

"For human scientists it is…" Perceptor noted, the hint of a smile touching his lips. "They seem to believe that music can affect the growth of a plant… I am merely exploring this theory for myself."

Jazz found himself forcing down the urge to kiss those lips. That may have been a bit to forceful and he certainly didn't want to scare the scientist away. After all, he had been waiting for the chance to woo the red mech for quite a while. There was no easy way to approach someone like Perceptor. He was so kind, so oblivious, and so completely caught up within his own thoughts that any normal attempt at courting the mech was sure to fail. So, the Special Ops mech had been forced to sit back and wait, watching as feelings of fondness grew steadily into loving affection.

"Sounds… Interesting…" Jazz murmured, setting the ruler back on the table's surface. His optics flickered briefly as the song changed, the singer calling out a different, though meaningless string of melodies. "I'm enjoying the song."

Perceptor's optics flashed briefly back toward the stereo. "Do you?" he asked. "I wasn't sure it was right for the experiment... I mean it's so different and it's rather old in human terms…"

Jazz looped his arm around the scientist's thin red waist. "It's perfect," he insisted around the red mech's squeak of surprise. "Shall we dance?"

"Dance? But I c-can't dance!" Perceptor exclaimed, the pitch in his voice rising.

"I'll lead," Jazz assured him, pulling them back a step from the table. With a clear lack of grace, he spun his partner around to face him. Almost as if he had rehearsed it, one hand fell to the scientist's waist and the other held onto his upper arm to provide guidance.

"J-Jazz…! I really don't feel comfortable with this…!" Perceptor yelped as he was suddenly whisked around in a circle. His feet clambered awkwardly after him, giving away his lack of coordination.

"Just trust me, okay?" Jazz told him, grinning as he twirled them in an uneven circle that matched no real dance pattern. He just wanted to guide his steps, to have the scientist follow him with the flow of the music. "I won't drop you."

At his words, Perceptor actually pulled closer, drawing in his free hand to grab at Jazz's shoulder. He held to him like a lifeline as their reckless spinning stopped and the two swept sideways as the music swirled around them. His face showed clear his unease with the situation, but any previous fight left him.

"Do you trust me?" Jazz asked, smiling as Perceptor drew closer to him. The scientist's pedes were graceless and awkward, nearly sending him toppling. Jazz held him up, easily keeping him upright and moving to the melody flowing from the stereo on the table.

"Y-Yes…" Perceptor admitted softly, optics drawing away from his partner's face in embarrassment. His words seemed to hold a deeper meaning.

Their bodies drew together as Jazz pulled them into a quick, tight spin. His arm tightened around the scientist, holding their chests flush together with a familiarity that tested the boundaries of friendship.

A shiver of excitement shot across Jazz's lines. Here he was, pressed into an intimate position with the mech of his affections and Perceptor made no move against him. Those innocent blue optics seemed uncertain, but they radiated trust.

The music faded out as the song ended. The voice and the symphony of instruments trailed off into silence. Neither mech seemed to notice.

"How much do you trust me…?" Jazz whispered, his fingers flexing against his partner's back.

"Completely." Perceptor breathed.

Jazz allowed himself a moment of hesitation, his optics firm as he tried to convey his intentions in their light. Whether or not the message was received, no move was made against him. He pressed his lips to Perceptor's.

Slow and sweet, the kiss drew out longer then intended. A soft movement, silent coaxing, and the scientist's lips moved with his, a savory sensation that banished all doubt from his processor. _Perceptor wanted this too._ The kiss mirrored his own, their emotions matching as lips met and danced. Soft and gentle, they clung to each other, expressing words they'd both held back with the graceful movement of lips and glossa.

Minutes passed before the pair reluctantly disentangled their mouths. Their dimmed optics watched each other, a silent need for more crackling between them.

"Can we… Dance again…?" Perceptor murmured.

"For you, always," Jazz replied before capturing his lips once more.

And so they danced.


End file.
